Carlos Forbs’ loan spell at Wolves was certainly very forgettable.
The winger joined the club on loan from Ajax in the summer of 2024, and was expected to be the replacement for Pedro Neto, who had gone to Chelsea a few weeks earlier.
Fans were excited about Forbs, who had talked up his one-vs-one ability and speed.
There were big shoes to fill, but supporters really did feel that Forbs could offer a lot, and were encouraged by how many goals he’d scored in Manchester City’s academy before his move to Ajax.
Sadly though, Forbs barely featured for Wolves last season.
He couldn’t really convince Gary O’Neil to pick him in the first half of the season, and then Vitor Pereira definitely didn’t fancy him.
Now, Forbs has reflected on his time at Molineux in a new interview, and his comments are rather sad to hear.
Carlos Forbs says he lost his smile during Wolves struggles
In the end, Forbs made just 11 appearances for Wolves, for a total of 260 minutes.
Pereira admitted that Forbs just didn’t fit the system he was using at Wolves, and from then on it was clear he wouldn’t be getting into the side. Especially with Wolves trying to pull away from the relegation zone.
Speaking about his time at the club, Forbs said in a new interview (via Voetbal International): “A good thing for me, you would think, but that was not the case. His system with wingbacks didn’t suit me.
“I didn’t play anymore, which made it mentally tough. Much harder than at Ajax. Then I lost my smile. Some guys from the dressing room encouraged me. They also saw that it was not due to a lack of talent.
“But training every day, knowing that you won’t be allowed to participate at the weekend anyway, that’s difficult.”
Even before Pereira’s arrival, O’Neil often set up with a back three and wing-backs.
So potentially, it was an oversight from the Wolves recruitment team to sign Forbs – a natural winger with no experience of playing as wing-back or a number 10 – in the first place.
Forbs doesn’t bear a grudge against Wolves
Despite this rather sad admission from Forbs, the youngster doesn’t hold any ill feeling towards Wolves.
He added: “Okay, my first two adventures as a professional footballer were not the best, but I never doubted. If you want to reach the top, you have to overcome certain setbacks. I really believe that.
“If Club Brugge had also become a difficult story, then… then I don’t know what would have been going on in my head. Fortunately, I don’t have to ask myself that question. I now know how to deal with difficult situations, but hopefully I will never encounter it again.”
Following his struggles at Wolves, Forbs is now enjoying happier times over in Belgium with Club Brugge.
So far, he’s played 946 minutes for his new team which is much more than he managed in the whole of last season for Wolves.
He’s also scored three goals and made three assists, and is developing his game further by experiencing the Champions League.